SNL Host Matthew McConaughey Tells Adele and Cecily a Quick Story
A weak monologue was followed by one of the seasons strongest hosting performances
Matthew McConaughey said in his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live that it had been 14 years since the last time he was on the show. This isnt true. He hosted in 2003, and the last time we checked, that was only 12 years ago. But that was about the only thing that McConaughey did wrong Saturday evening.
The cold open began with the old reliable Fox and Friends. Sure, its formulaic, but since were living in a news cycle that has forced us into election season way too early, its refreshing to see Taran Killam, Vanessa Bayer, and Bobby Moynihan skewer the extreme right. Best lines from the sketch included Bayers Elizabeth Hasselback angry about Black Friday: All Fridays matter! Also noteworthy was Jay Pharoahs Ben Carson: Im like a koala bear. On the outside I seem nice, but on the inside, Ive never held elective office.
McConaugheys monologue was a recapping of how he first came to utter the alright, alright, alright that has been his catchphrase since his screen debut in Dazed and Confused. He told the story without many laughs, but with the engagement of a guy that youre a few beers deep with at the bar. Not that funny, but it was entertaining just the same.
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The first sketch after the monologue will be the one that everybody is passing around for the next week. It was a pre-taped vignette of a Thanksgiving meal where the different generations clashed in their political views and lifestyle choices, but just as things started to get really heated, a young girl pressed play on a boombox. As soon as Adeles Hello came through the speakers, everybody at the table became lost in the moment, singing, growing totally enraptured and slowly becoming Adele. Jay Pharoah for the win again as he held his painted nails to his face with his long, silky hair blowing in the sepia-toned wind.
Next up was Kenan Thompson leading a band at Charlies Blues Shack. McConaughey played an out-of-tune bluesman sitting in with a New Orleans house band whose blues dont go much deeper than having a sucky fantasy football team. The game was established early, and they did a good job heightening it, but they werent able to take it beyond soft laughs.
Cecily Strong set up the next sketch, leading a presentation about a company called Bio-Print, which figured out how to use a 3D printer to create a human man. She invited audience members to guess which of the three men onstage is not a real human. Without giving away too much, this sketch is full of some of the most quotable SNL lines since the 90s, with the character who may or may not be the 3D printing of a man saying things like youre making a sunglasses guy like me laugh hard from my face.
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The highlight of the show was a pre-taped bit with J.J. Abrams introducing screen tests for the new Star Wars. Its an easy joke, and one SNL has done before, most magnificently with Kevin Spacey playing Christopher Walken reading for the part of Han Solo. This one was just as funny, with Cecily Strong killing it as Sophia Vergara and Aidy Bryant nailing a highly improbable audition from Wynona Judd. Famous cameos abounded, most notably Jon Hamm, saying hes reading for the part of Hamm Solo.
Adeles musical performance was as amazing as the world needs it to be right now, as evidenced from the first filmed sketch of the evening. At this point in the show, we were still hoping that shed also do a comedy cameo, as more than 11 million have already seen what she did with Graham Norton earlier this week.
Weekend Update focused mostly on American politicians hypocrisy for refusing to allow Syrian refugees into the States, especially timely given the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The best lines included Michael Che saying, my ancestors werent exactly immigrants. We were more like invited guests and Colin Jost saying, Do you know how easy it is to lie about being Christian? I do it every time I go home for Christmas. Che and Josts biggest asset is also their biggest downfall: They always seem like theyre performing primarily for each other. Cameos from Vanessa Bayer as an aspiring Update anchor and Kenan Thompson as David Ortiz helped minimize this though.
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The game show medium is hit or miss on SNL, and this one was kind of a miss. It was a good premise; a game show called Should You Chime In On This? Again the focus was American ignorance, where participants gave their opinions on matters they have no knowledge about. Not even Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton could save this though.
Kate McKinnon dis indeed save the next sketch though. It was Bright Side of the Bed, where Strong and Taran Killam play married morning talk show hosts. McConaughey played Buster Little, a hirsute creole cook who tells jokes he doesnt even get. This bit is moderately funny, but Killams character cops too much of his persona from Dana Carveys Lyle the Effeminate Heterosexual. But it was McKinnons Ed Sheeran impersonation that tied this installment together.
Adeles second song was flawless. It really is great to be living in an age where a contemporary singer is still releasing her best material.
The show closed with one of the funnier moments. McConaughey played a character at a small town meeting who speaks out and gets hung up on what everybody else has that he doesnt have (a college education, shoes, a real hand etc.). His performance here almost made up for the fact that he didnt do a True Detective parody. Almost.
We joined current and former cast members, hosts and other Saturday Night Live mainstays for Sundays bonanza celebrating 40 years of the NBC sketch comedy show
"SNL 40": Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Sarah Palin Reminisce Over Favorite Moments, Chris FarleySource: http://www.thewrap.com/matthew-mcconaughey-hosts-snl-adele-helps-deliver-an-all-right-all-right-all-right-episode/
